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How can I keep my children entertained on a long flight?

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I'm flying to the East Coast with my 3-year-old and my 3-month-old. What can I bring to keep them occupied on the flight? Does anyone have advice on what to pack in my carry-on? Any advice on flying with kids is appreciated.

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We've travelled extensively with our son, now 3 1/2 (his first flight was at 9mos.) All the advice on here is awesome (except the drugging advice - if you plan carefully for your travel there is NO reason to do this!!). The only thing I can add would be:
Get your child his/her own seat on the plane, even if they are young enough to travel as "lapsitters." Why?
A> Safety. We have friends in the industry who have witnessed firsthand the injury that can be caused to lap-held children if the plane encounters sudden mid-air turbulance, skids off the runway on landing or has to abort a takeoff. You wouldn't lap-hold your child in a car going 35mph (unless you're name is Brittany), so why in the world would you do it at 300mph? Most airlines will offer seats for infants and toddlers at half price; you can bring your carseat on the plane with you (check that it's FAA approved, most with 5-point harnesses are), strap it in and you're good to go. You'll need the carseat when you get where you're going, anyway. You can't put a price on safety - buy the seat!!!
B> Comfort. Especially on a long flight - and especially if your child is old enough to crawl/pull up/walk. Think about your average 1 year old, and now think about holding them on your lap for 6 hours. Nobody will land happy, trust me.
C> Carry-ons. In order to really keep your child engaged for the duration of a long flight, you need toys, books, playdough, DVDs, etc. - AND you need to have all the other "stuff" - extra diapers, change of clothes for you and baby, snacks, blankies, favorite stuffed animal, etc. You get the picture - it's a lot of stuff. If your child has his own seat, guess what? They are entitled to a carry on bag of their own (even if they aren't the one's carrying it on). It's far easier to split things into multiple bags; otherwise, you will find yourself cramming so much into one bag that it won't fit under your seat, and you can't find anything, anyway, when you go to open it.
Oh - and totally unrelated - if you have a toddler in shoes, put them in socks or slippers for the duration of the flight. Don't know why but it makes them inifinitely more comfortable.

Hmm.
I see some parents are upset about giving Tylenol to their kids.. They should try travelling 26 hours straight to the otherside of the world with kids (Most people on the comments had a max 5 hour flight).
It is sometimes necessary but not needed always.
Also please carry your own medicines, my daughter once had a 102F after I took the boarding pass. Especially if your babies have motion sickness, check upfront with doctor. For travel abroad, check with Travel medicine and advisory on the necessary shots for the country of your destination.
Definitely pack new toys, I have found Baby Bjorn a big help when the baby gets bored, you can walk around. And of course, coloring books, reading material and DVDs for older kids.
I love the seperate diaper-wipe pack ideas.
Also, carry food your kids and ask for your baby needs (and change them) before they start the meal service/take-off/landing. The staff gets really annoyed when you interrupt their service.

We took our daughter Morgan Calista (6 months old) on a trip to Amsterdam (from Pennsylvania) and she did great! The trick is to pack all the right things in the diaper bag (snacks, baby food, diapers, books, toys, changing pad, hand sanitizer, diaper cream, 2 blankets, 2 change of clothes for baby, change of clothes for you, bottle, juice, 2 washcloths, babywipes, 20 oz bottled water, snacks for you too).
Feed her before getting on the plane and give her the bottle or breastfeed during takeoff/landing.
Dress the baby comfortably in layers of cottony soft clothes (short sleeve onesie, long sleeve light jacket, light but cozy socks, cotton stretchy pants)... If she gets hot you can take one layer off, can take her socks off, etc. as needed.
It's also important to be "ahead of the game"so that your baby is comfortable the whole time, and is entertained... Feed the baby before she's hungry. Give her something to drink before she's thirsty. Read her a book before she gets bored. If she appears to be getting sleepy, bundle her & make her cozy and read her a bedtime book. BTW, plastic disposable cups & straws can be bigtime entertainment for a baby too -- ask stewardess for extra ones! :)
Morgan Calista is now 13 months old and we're off to Colorado, then Portugal. As long as she's comfortable & entertained she'll be happy, we'll be happy and so will everyone else around us! :)
Happy Travelling!!!

After 20 years as a F/A for an international carrier, I've seen it all. What works best on a long flight is advance planning. As a professional, here are some trouble-shooting tips.
1. The lighting and noise on the plane may disturb a child's normal sleep patterns. Be prepared with a blanket to cover car seats or even as a tent over the child's seat and the seat in front of them.
2. Do not load your child up with fatty foods, sugar or treats. Air expands in little tummies. Combine that with a little turbulence and you got yourself a puker.
3. Prepare for vomit and diaper emergencies, bring at least one spare outfit for baby and one for you. I've seen many parents having suffer thru a flight smelling of sick baby.
4. Do not assume that a bassinet will be available to you. 777 has 1, in a specific row.
5. Discipline your child. Do not let them run around. They could easily be injured.
6. Bring the usual comforts of home. Favorite toy, blanket and snack along with new treats

I travel a lot with my now 9-month old who is VERY active. If you can afford it, get your child his/her seat. That way, s/he is in a somewhat familiar position and your hands are free to get whatever you need to get out of the bags. A few weeks before the trip, I stock up on a few small toys that will be brand-new to him. This past trip, I brought along a portable dvd player and it was WONDERFUL. It was light and didn't take up too much room, yet was a lifesaver! Finally, just relax and keep a sense of humor-in ten years, you will look back on the trip and not worry about holding the security line up an extra 60 seconds, or that the baby fussed for 30 seconds while getting settled on the plane. Good luck!

Our kids are 1 and 2.5, and I found a couple key travel essentials. A DVD player (or laptop) is great, but we picked up a little weekly pill box - the kind with little compartments for each day of the week. Both kids were fascinated with it. We filled them w/healthy snacks like raisins, cheerios, nuts, dried fruit, etc. (only age appropriate for the 1 year old) and it kept each of them entertained for ages. Chewing and swallowing the snacks were effective to help with the ear popping, since they wouldn't drink that much. Even without snacks, they were fascinated with opening and closing the little compartments. Also pack lots of ziplock bags, since those come in handy for EVERYTHING. Novel toys (new or hidden for a while before the trip) keep then entertained a little longer, but be sure to pack quiet toys. We did give Tylenol mid-flight on the return to help offset the ear pain. Bulkhead seats (which did cost more) gave the kids some room to stand and stretch during the flght.

Melissa I used to agree with your comments on drugging the kids. It still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth but my daughter will NOT go to sleep if there is anything even mildly intresting. Rather, she will simply start to get fussy and works herself up into a huge fit. I have tried getting her up early, which was your solution, but it only makes matters worse. I'm very glad it worked for you but please let others parent as best fits their children without inserting your 'holier than thou' comments

We have travelled from Vancouver BC witb our daughter to San Fransisco (6 weeks), Maui (6 months), Orlando (8 and 15 m) and Kauai (18 m) and preparing for Europe (23 m). Travel has been fairly easy with preparation tips: breastfeeeding, snacks, a few mother goose (baby songs)sessions,small books, and the best thing-washable crayola crayons. For this trip we'll add a Dora the Explorer backpack, My first leapad, play dough, picture cards and baby einstein videos on dad's laptop. It sounds like a lot but keeping them interested in their own stuff seems to be the key. Those crayons are amazing and she can draw all over walls and tables with no trace left behind.

Mindie Sue and Rocco,
My husband and I first traveled with our 3 month old from California to Taiwan. The biggest thing to remember is to make sure you are ready to help assist your baby in popping his/her ears during take off and landing. If your baby is sleeping you don't have to worry. We kept a siringe and bottle of water on hand and after 2-3 minutes of take off one little squirt(just enought to make baby swallow) every 3-4 minutes helps alot, or if its time to eat(bottle or breastfeed) this works the best. All together your baby will probably sleep almost the entire trip. Having not traveled with a baby before, I was greatly suprised how good the flight attendents are about making sure you have everything you need, warm water for bottles, extra blankets for breastfeeding, etc. Also remember that if your baby does cry on the plane, dont stress about it bothering the other passangers. Chances are that 85% of them have been in the same situation. Walking up the aisles once or twice when the baby is awake also helps calm you and your little one! If you and your husband remain calm and relaxed so will your little one. Have a great flight. :)

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